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Helecia Williams’ Summer Hair Protection Tips

With August wrapping up and the kiddos heading back to school, the realization that summer is drawing to a close is setting in. But, there’s still a few weeks of heat left to deal with – especially if you live in Houston like I do, where it feels like the summer can last well into October!

I enjoy the outdoors as much as the next girl, but the sun is unforgiving, and can definitely take a toll on your hair. To help combat this, I created a DIY Hair Mask using Uncle Funky’s Daughter Richee Rich Conditioner and other common household ingredients. This is a great and affordable way to keep your tresses well-moisturized and conditioned, as well as keep you protected against excessive sun exposure, which can cause breakage and dryness.

In addition to Richee Rich, which contains jojoba oil, shea butter and sweet almond oil, and serves as an excellent deep conditioner, I use three ingredients to make this mask:

Eggs – A great source of natural protein that can strengthen your hair and promote growth

Coconut Oil – My favorite oil, superb for taming frizz and fighting dandruff. If you don’t like coconut oil or prefer another, such as olive oil, castor oil, avocado oil, etc, feel free to use that one in this mask instead. If you’re not sure which oil works best for you, don’t be afraid to do a little research and experimentation. It’s important to assess your hair needs and then choose an oil accordingly.

I detail the best way to mix and use these products for your hair mask in a video on my YouTube channel. Be sure to check that out for more info!

Another great and effective way to protect your hair from the summer heat is the use of headwraps, wigs and hats. This can be a cute, cost-effective way to keep the sun completely off of your tresses while maintaining a sporty summer look when you’re out and about. Headwraps, in particular are especially popular right now, and can be easily created simply by grabbing a few yards of fabric from your local fabric store. In addition, there are tons of tutorials on YouTube for stylish and unique ways to tie your headwraps. Once you figure that out, you can even deep condition with the aforementioned hair mask under your headwrap while you’re out, and kill two birds with one stone!

Finally, adopting a protective style for the remainder of the summer is an excellent option. Cornrows, crochet braids, sew-ins, etc, can temper the amount of time and maintenance, and manipulation of your hair, required and allows you to stay on the move. They also allows you some flexibility in terms of style; you can throw a hat or wrap on your braids like nothing!

Remember, it’s not too late to put these tips to use. Labor Day is around the corner, and there’s still plenty of sun rays to soak in for the next month or so. Take the extra steps to keep your hair moisturized, healthy and ready to pull off your fall look when autumn rolls around!